Ireoluwa
A Yoruba name meaning "God's wealth or valuable gift".
Name Census estimates that about 361 living Americans carry the first name Ireoluwa. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 55.4% of registrations being female. The average person named Ireoluwa today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Ireoluwa births was 2021 (43 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Ireoluwa. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Ireoluwa with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
361
~ 1 in 949,458 Americans
Peak year
2021
43 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2024 SSA rank
#6,463
Tracked since 2012
Gender
Gender distribution for Ireoluwa
Ireoluwa is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 363 total registrations, 162 (44.6%) were male and 201 (55.4%) were female.
Ireoluwa as a male name
- Ranked #7,407 in 2024
- 11 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (24 births)
Ireoluwa as a female name
- Ranked #6,463 in 2024
- 18 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2019 (21 births)
Popularity
Ireoluwa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Ireoluwa from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 209 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Ireoluwa remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ireoluwa by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Ireoluwa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Ireoluwas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Ireoluwa
Ireoluwa is a Yoruba name originating from southwestern Nigeria, with roots dating back to the medieval period of West African history. The name is a compound word formed by combining the elements "Ire" meaning "blessing" or "goodness," and "Oluwa" which translates to "God" or "Lord." Together, Ireoluwa conveys the meaning of "God's blessing" or "Gift from God."
This name was widely used among the Yoruba people, an ethnic group known for their rich cultural traditions and linguistic heritage. The Yoruba language, which belongs to the Kwa language family, has influenced the naming conventions of various communities within Nigeria and beyond.
Ireoluwa has its roots in the traditional Yoruba belief system, which reveres the divine and places great importance on the spiritual significance of names. In ancient times, names were carefully chosen to reflect the hopes, prayers, and aspirations of parents for their children.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ireoluwa can be found in the writings of Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a Yoruba scholar and the first African bishop of the Anglican Church, who lived in the 19th century (1809-1891). Crowther's works shed light on Yoruba customs and traditions, including naming practices.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Ireoluwa:
1. Ireoluwa Osayande (born 1982), a Nigerian-American computer scientist and entrepreneur, known for her contributions to data analytics and machine learning.
2. Ireoluwa Adeyemi (born 1978), a Nigerian artist and activist, recognized for her work in raising awareness about environmental issues and promoting sustainable practices.
3. Ireoluwa Ogunlana (born 1965), a Nigerian-British lawyer and human rights advocate, who has worked extensively on cases involving international law and human rights violations.
4. Ireoluwa Adebiyi (born 1990), a Nigerian-American writer and poet, whose works explore themes of identity, migration, and cultural heritage.
5. Ireoluwa Olarewaju (born 1975), a Nigerian political analyst and commentator, known for her insights into the dynamics of Nigerian politics and governance.
These individuals, hailing from various fields, have carried the name Ireoluwa and contributed to their respective domains, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and significance associated with this name.
People
Ireoluwa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Ireoluwa as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with I
Other first names starting with I with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Ireoluwa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Ireoluwa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 361 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Ireoluwa going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 949,458 US residents.
Is Ireoluwa a common name?
We classify Ireoluwa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 363 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Ireoluwa most popular?
The single biggest year for Ireoluwa was 2021, when 43 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Ireoluwa is about 8 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Ireoluwa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Ireoluwa a female name?
Yes, 55.4% of people registered as Ireoluwa in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Ireoluwa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Ireoluwa in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Ireoluwa can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are named Ireoluwa?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.